1. Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to crossing gates and more specifically relates to a railroad crossing gate for use at an intersection of a roadway and a railway track.
2. Description of the Related Art
Railroad grade level crossing gates generally have a relatively long fixed gate arm. Due to the long length of the gate arm the railroad crossing gate is more likely to suffer wind damage and interfere with overhead obstructions such as power lines. If the gate arm is damaged in a wind event or is damaged due to overhead obstacles, maintenance crews have to be dispatched to fix the damaged arms or temporarily post warning flags to warn motorists. There is also the issue of vehicles being “trapped” in the railway crossings by the gate arms.
Railroad grade crossing assemblies with fixed arms use crossing warning signs with or without flashing warning lights. Some railroad grade level crossings employ “quad gates” that block both lanes of traffic on both sides of the grade crossing, but this requires twice the hardware and maintenance than a standard grade crossing due to double the arms.
Therefore, there is a need for improvements to railroad crossing gates.